Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby taking immediate leave of absence for gambling addiction

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby taking immediate leave of absence for gambling addiction, according to a release from the team. Head coach Joey McGuire also released a statement.

“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” McGuire said. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”

According to the release, Sorsby will enter a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. Texas Tech maintained their commitment to supporting the quarterback through his recovery process and long term health and well-being.

“Texas Tech’s primary focus remains on fostering an environment where student-athletes feel empowered to prioritize their mental health and seek professional assistance,” the statement read. “To protect the integrity of the recovery process, Texas Tech will have no further comment on Brendan’s status or treatment progress at this time. We kindly ask the media and the public to respect the privacy of Brendan and his family.”

On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed that Sorsby placed bets on Indiana while on the Hoosiers’ roster in 2022. This could jeopardize his eligibility, as noted below.

NCAA guidelines from 2023 on sports betting say: “Student-athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This would also apply to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.”

Brendan Sorsby to take indefinite leave of absence for gambling addiction

Nakos also reported Cincinnati, will not comment on the situation regarding its former quarterback. Sorsby left Cincinnati this winter.

As far as some of the bets are concerned, Sorsby attended Cincinnati Reds games on repeated occasions, and placed live wagers on balls and strikes, sources tell Pete Nakos. The bets ranged anywhere from $2.50 to less than $1 per pitch.

Sorsby’s gambling has not drawn any attention from law enforcement nor has it been linked to any attempting influencing of the outcome of games. It is reportedly just a steady flurry of small bets over a period of time. As of now, there is no timetable on Sorsby’s treatment nor any additional information on his potential return to the Texas Tech football program.

Sorsby was a high profile transfer this cycle as he is reportedly making upwards of $5 million for his arrival at Texas Tech. Coming from Cincinnati Sorsby broke out, truly, in 2025 under center.

After two years of development at Indiana, he spent the last two with the Bearcats and was expected to captain the Red Raiders back to the College Football Playoff in 2026. All told, he’s played 35 games and has 7,208 yards, 60 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, a 61.4% completion percentage, 1,295 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns in his career.